St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-01
VESSELS IN FLAMES.
Great Destruction Caused by Blaz
Originating on Pier at New
York City.
It Spreads to Adjacent Ships and Makes
Things Quite Lively For the
Firemen,
Some of Whom Have a Narrow Es.
cape From Burning TO
Death.
Gen. B. F. Buffers Injuries More
Serious Than Was at First
Supposed.

NEW YORK, Feb. 2S.-At6 o'clock thii
morning fire broke out on Pier 81, North
River, owned by the Morgan Line Steam
ship company and used rs a di1charging
pier for freight. The total loss will bl
about $3.50, 900 to S40p 900. The fire ori.
ginated on board the lighter Lorena. whick
was moOred at the extreme end of the dock.
By the time the fremen arrived the pieI
was ablaze. On the north side of the piel
was the steamer Lone Star, which collided
with the steamer Wells City few weeks
ago, and Oh the south side was
the steamer City of New York.
Between the Stonington pier On the south
side and the Guion line pier on the north
side there were moored eight lighters loaded
with cotton. The wind was blowing a fur
rious gale in a northea sterly direction. and
as the cotton on the pier caught fire the
smoke filled the street so that it was impos,
sible to see any distance. The blaze was
blowing down on
THE STEAMER LONE STAR,
and it was only few minutes before she
was afire. The fire patrol made several att
tempts to get the steamer out from the fire.
| 1t was low tide and she was grounded.
Three OF the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany'S tugs helped the patrol. and at last
| tie Lone Star was towed out into the river
i andy streams OF water were played
on her. She was towed over to
the Guttenburg shore and left in
change Of two tugs. She is almost
totally destroyed. She was built about
| twelve years ago and cost 1925. 600. She
| has deprecated in value since that time
and the loss on her will probably be about
S1O0, 600, on which there is 10 insurance.
After the Lone Star was got out of the
| attention IN q eft mi
City of New York and she was towed into
mid stream without being injured. This
was at Z o'clock, and Chief McGill and
twelve of his men had managed to reach the
end OF the pier. They were trying to work
their way to the lighter LOrena, when one
OF their number happened to glance behind
him, and i'll an excited manner he eX-
claimed: '.Goet God. boys. we are hem
med in" The chief looked into the direc-
ton of the street and saw that the whole
| front OF the pier was ablaze. and that their
! lneanS of escape were cut OFF. The men
rushed to the side of the pier and got out
on the string pier. Every minute the fire
from both ends was fast sweeping towards
them. The smoke was SO sutfocating that
it was difficult to breathe. Their
ONLY HOPE FOR ESCAPE
was to jump into the water and take their
| cidilcSS VI UelllS dUIt VI SWlH dSlcI6
through gulf of fire. The water was
filled with burning bales of cotton. Chief
McGill mustered his men around him, and
they played on the fire with the one stream
which they had run OIL to the pier, hoping
that for time they would beat back the
flames. The fire surrounded the hose and
it melted in a short time. When this gave
out Chief McGill called his men about him
and said: BOYS, the only thing for us tc
do now is to risk swimming" Just as he
was about to jump into the water one OF
the men spied the tug boat d. NJ. Cox and
hailed her. She was brought TO the dock
and Chief McGill and his men were taken
on board without any one being hurt The
men were no sooner on board the tug than
word was brought to them that Henry
Watt, one OF the firemen of the steamer
Lone Star. was locked up in the Office.
which was short distance from the ell
trance on the water side of the pier. He
was crying loudly for help. The firemen
passed him an axe and he tried to cut his
way out. He was almost overcome and his
efforts were very weak. The window was
pried open and he was dragged out i'll an
insensible condition. On the dock were
!, 800 bales of cotton, and on the eight
barges $500 bales, making in all about
1900.